Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season is finally here and you couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick it off than a AFC Championship rematch between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs.

The back-to-back reigning champions in the Chiefs are looking to become the first team in NFL history to ever win 3 Super Bowls in a row. Not only has no NFL team ever completed this feat, but none of the teams that have won back-to-back titles have returned to the Super Bowl the following year.

If any team can accomplish this, it’s the Chiefs as they’ve made it to the big game 4 of the last 5 years, winning 3 Super Bowls since 2020. Kansas City is certainly poised this year to make another championship run after addressing offseason needs, as they usually do. Aside from retaining Defensive Tackle Chris Jones with a five-year $158.75 million contract and dealing CB L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans (smart), they bulked up their wide receiver room by adding Hollywood Brown to a $7 million one-year contract.

Receiving was a main area of focus as they are now rolling with Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown and rookie standout Xavier Worthy. With the emergence of dynamic RB Isiah Pacheco that displays pass-catching ability, there are definitely more mouths for Mahomes to feed. BET99 has the quarterback at 37.5 pass attempts which is 4 more than last year’s league average.

The big question that football fans and fantasy managers alike are all asking themselves is what does this mean for Travis Kelce? Is this where we begin to see a little regression with the future hall-of-famer?

He has undoubtedly established himself as one of the greatest pass-catchers of all time, certainly as the greatest Tight End, and will remain as the go-to target for Patrick Mahomes. With that being said, he did show some signs of slowing down midseason last year, resulting in just over 2 yards per route run. He would then quiet the doubters by putting on an incredible playoff performance leading to his third Super Bowl ring.

Even though Kelce has been as consistent as it gets, leading all Chiefs in targets since the departure of Tyreek Hill, he has to slow down at some point. Not to mention, his personal life can play an underlying factor, whether football fans want to admit it or not. Sure there’s all the Taylor Swift hype but between his brother retiring and their podcast ‘New Heights’ inking a deal worth $100 million over three years (which is more than his NFL contract) one can only wonder where his priorities lie at the age of 34.

Getting back to on the field performance, there’s no doubt that Travis Kelce can return to the top of the Tight End pyramid (fantasy stat wise) as he’s ranked TE2 behind Detroit’s Sam LePorta. But can he do it against the Baltimore Ravens in the season opener on Thursday Night?

The Play

Travis Kelce Anytime Touchdown (-110)

Let’s start off with the pick we’ve gone to the well for over and over again. Despite Travis’ disappointing season last year in the touchdown department, he picked things up when it mattered most in the playoffs. Kelce only notched 5 TDs during the regular season but tallied 3 in the postseason.

Travis started last season injured, missing the season opener against the Detroit Lions. He then bounced back Week 2 and found 6 points against Jacksonville, even though his usage was light. That’s Travis Kelce for you. It’s not a probability that he’ll find the endzone, it’s an expectation. With the new receivers added, it could potentially take the focus away from Kelce in the red zone, leading to some optimal touchdown opportunities.

Travis Kelce Over 57.5 Receiving Yards (-120)

This one is tricky. We all know how potent the Ravens defence can be, but how do they match up against Tight Ends?

Last year, Baltimore ranked 12th in defending TEs, allowing an average of 5.2 receptions and 51 receiving yards. Travis Kelce being Travis Kelce, will attract a lot more attention, but with their new-look receiving core, how many looks should we expect for him? His reception line according to BET99 is 5.5 which is an option we weighed, but when factoring in Kansas City’s new options, Travis could see a slight dip in target share.

Taking that into account, there will be more opportunities with explosive plays when it comes to  Kelce. With the target being 57.5 yards, he could make that up in 2 or 3 receptions, which is why we’ll take the over. It’s also not a bad idea to take the over on receptions as well. Last season, 8 of the 9 games Travis Kelce met the 5.5 reception total, he went over on the 55.5 receiving yard total.

Kansas City Chiefs Moneyline (-150)

Why not ride with the Chiefs dominant season opening record? Before last year’s season opening loss to Dan Campbell’s Lions, they had won 8 straight, which is tied for the 5th longest record in the Super Bowl era.

BET99 has the Chiefs favoured to win Super Bowl 59 at +500 odds, cementing them in football history. The Chiefs are on a mission that is above what any other team can accomplish this year. You better believe they’re coming out of the gates hot. 

Want to ride with us? Take the Down By Two Banger powered by BET99 and lock in these three picks at +300 odds.

Use promo code CRIER99 to receive a first bet encore of up to $1,500!

+19 | Play Responsibly